In his childhood, Katsura's parents died due to an illness , having been stripped off of their mansion, and he was left roaming the streets together with his grandmother. While visiting the grave of his parents, his grandmother taught him that no matter how strong or great a warrior may be, if he dies, he wouldn't be able to protect his country or any other people at all. So in order to be a great general, one must be more careful and more fearful in order to survive and lead the war.